Oil and gas separator



Filed Dec. 26. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l gwuentoz NJ: wwiiers,

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Oct. 21, 1930. M. F.'WATERS OIL AND GAS SEPARATOR.

Filed Dec. 26. 1928 Patented Oct. 21, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE F. WATERS, OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA, ASIGNOR '10 SMITH SEPARATOiB COMPANY, OF TULSA,- OKLAHOMA OIL AND GAS SEPARATOR Application filed December 26, 1928. Serial No. 328,563.

My invention'consist s in new and useful improvements in oil and gas separators, and has for its object, to provide an apparatus whereby the operator may handle large volumes of oil and gas with a .more complete separation of the particles. Another object of my invention is to provide an inlet baflie which will deflect the mixture of oil and gas downwardly, and at the -sa me time cause a centrifugal action to take place in the tank. It has been my experience that with this particular arrangement of inlet bafile,-the foaming of the oil inside the separator iseliminated to a large extent.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a series of separating bafiles within the tank. which will divide the gas into small streams, andat the same time effect a circular downward and upward scrubbing action of said gas on the contact surfaces of the baflies, thus. causing any particles of oil which may beentrained in said gas, to beknocked back and conveyed to the bottom A ofthe tank. I With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description pro -ceeds, my invention consists in the novel features herein set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which nu-' merals of like character designate similar parts throughout the several .views,

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the upper portion of my improved separator tank. showing .the relative location of the baflies therein.

Fig. 2 is a view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1, showing the construction of my improved conical bafiles. I

Fig. 3 is a view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

showing the inlet spiral bafiie fromtheupper side.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 3; showing the ,inlet baflie from another angle.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5+5 ofFig.2,and

Fig. 6 is a sectional viewtaken on line 6 -6 of Fig. 3, showing the lining of the splral inlet bafile.

In the drawings, 1- represents a separator tank, which is cylindrical in shape, and provided with an oil and gas inlet aperture 2, substantially midway of its extremities and at its upper end, with a gas outlet 3. 'djacent the'inlet aperture 2, and secured to the inner wal-l'of the tank 1, by any suitable means, is a spiral inlet baflie 4, which, at its upper or inlet. end, is "substantially square in ,cross section, extending downwardly in a so spiral form in juxtaposition to the inner wall of the tank 1. This baflie 4 is laterally tapered from its'squared inlet end, and is vertically flared toward its discharge end, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, thus being gradually elongated and narrow at its lower end. The outer wall of the baflie 4, adjacent the wall of the tank 1, projects beyond the other walls of said baflie at its lower end, as at 5, said projection becoming grad- 7o ually thicker and curving inwardly toward the center of the tank, as'shown in Fig. 3,

whereby the incoming mixture oioil and gas is started in a circular motion toward the center of the tank and away from the 75. I

shell of said separator, thus preventing said mixture which usually carries a quantity of sand, from eating away the walls of the tank at this point.

. In order' to prevent the errosion of the inso terior of the baflle 4, .I may provide the same with a lining of rubber or other suitable material 6, as clearly shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. It is well known that rubber is a' good resistance against errosion, but it has Y been difiicult to develop a rubber that is not soluble in petroleum" products. However, such a composition has now been produced, and is particularly adaptable for this baflie lining.

Immediately above the spiral inlet bafiie 4, I provide a series or nest of conical baflies 7 and 8, with their apexes extending downwardly, and their upper extremities rigidly secured within a jacket 9, which is inserted within the tank 1, said jacket being of slightly less diameter than said tank and flaring outwardly as at 10, at its lower extremity, whereby said jacket and sus ended conical bafiles are secured-in place wit in the shell by weldm ing or other suitable means 11. The bafiies 7 and 8 are alternately arranged within the jacket 9, and are maintained in their proper positions by spacers 12, said bafiies being of two different types. Each bafiie 7 is provided with a substantially rectangular perforated section 7 a on one side near the upper edge, while each bafiie 8 is imperforate, with the exception of an enlarged aperture 8 near its apex and on the side opposite to the perforated section 7 of the bailies 7, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The perforations? a may be formed with upwardly projecting lips, as shown in my prior Patent No. 1,511,854.

13 represent-s a substantially vertical battle or wall which extends through one side of the baflies 7 and 8, from the centers of said bafiles to one wall of the jacket 9, separating the perforated sections 7 a of the baflies 7 from the apertures 8 of the bafiies 8, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 5. v

The apexes of the baflies 7 and 8 terminate in drain nozzles 14, each of which extends downwardly and-projects into the upper end of the nozzle below, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, each of said nozzles being reduced at its lower end, whereby it is spaced apart from the adj acent nozzle to allow the oil which is knocked back from the under surfaces of the baffles 7 and 8, to drain downwardly therethrough. The lowermost nozzle 14: terminates in an oil drain pipe 15, which conveys the oil to the bottom of the tank. v

It will be noted that in the construction of my improved oil and gas separator, I am not limited to any predetermined number of baflles 7 and 8, this being dependent upon the grade of the mixture to be separated, and the surrounding conditions. It will also be noted that if desired, a plurality of inlet bafiies 4 may be employed.

Having thus described the construction and assembly of my improved oil and gas separator, its operation is as follows:

The mixture of oil and gas from the well enters the tank 1 at the inlet 2, and is deflected downwardly in a centrifugal motion by the spiral inlet bafile or bafiies 4, from whence the oil drops to the bottom of the tank, and the gas rises therein. The gas'which at this time has a quantity of oil entrained therewith, immediately comes in contact with the lowermost spiral bafHe 7, and is upwardly scrubbed alon the under surface thereof passing upvwar 1y through the perforated section 7,

where it is divided into a series of small streams- It then comes in contact with the under side of the imperforate battle 8, and that portion of the verticalbaille 13 between said baflies 7 and 8, which makes a positive seal between said baifles. Hence, said gas is caused to travel around the under surface of the baffle 8, in a direction away from the baffle or wall 13, during which travel it is caused to be scrubbed through a circular downward movement, until it reaches the aperture 8? in the baflie 8. Then, having been further denuded of its oil content, by this bafiie arrangement, the gas passes upwardly through said single aperture 8 which unites'the divided streams. This course is repeated as the gas travels throughout the remainder of the series of battles 7 and 8.

The particles of oil which have been knocked back by the series of baffles, are conveyed to the bottom of the tank by means of nozzles 14, and the drain pipe 15, whilethe gas, free from oil, passes out of the tank at 3, and is conducted away by a suitable pipe line.

It is obvious that the gas outlet pipe may extend within the tank,,as"shown in my copending application Serial No. 141,350.

From the foregoing it isbelieved that the construction, operation fand advantages of my invention may be readily understood, and

I am aware that various changes maybe made in the details disclosed, without depart-f pressed in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an oil and gas separator tank, a series of superposed conical baflies spaced apart and provided with perforated and imperforate sections, said baffles being alternately arranged so that the perforated sections of each baffle are adjacent the imperforate sections of the next occurring baflie, and a substantially vertical wall extending through a portion of said baffles for sealing the spaces therebetween and preventing direct communication between the perforated sections of adjacent baflles.

2. In an oil and gas separator tank, a series of battles consisting of a plurality ofvertically spaced conicalbafile members, alternatel provided with a section comparatively m1- nutely perforated, and a single opening, said baflles being so arranged that the perforated sections of one set of bafiles are adjacent the imperforate portions of the next occurring baflles and the single openings in the last named baffles are adjacent'the imperforate portions of the first named baffles, and a substantially vertical wall extending through a portion of said baflles for sealing the spaces therebetween and preventing direct communication between the perforated sections and single openings of adjacent bafiles.

3. In an oil and gas separator tank having an oil and gas inlet, an inlet baflie for imparting a centrifugal motion to the mixture being treated, consisting of a substantially spiral trough-like member having an inlet opening atone end adjacent the inlet of said tank, and a discharge opening at the other end, at a point beneath said inlet opening, means at the discharge end of said inlet bafile for deflecting the incoming mixture away from the shell of said tank, a series of super-posed baf- .ing from the spirit of the invention, as exfies above said inlet bafie, and means for causing the gas to follow a broken path through said series of baflies.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the wall of said trough-like member, adjacent the shell of said tank, is elongated at its discharge end and adapted to deflect the incoming mixture away from said shell.

5. In an oil and gas separator tank, a series of super-posed conical baifles arranged in spaced relation with their apexes depending downwardly, each alternate baifle being provided with a comparatively minutely perforated section and the adjacent baflie with a single opening, said perforated sections being I located near the upper extremity of the bafiies and the single opening in close proximity to their apexes, a substantially vertical wall extending through one side of said bafiies for preventing direct communication between the perforated sections and single openings of adj acent baflles, each of said apexes terminating in a drain nozzle in communication with the drain nozzle of the baflie next below, and a drain pipe connected to the lowermost of said nozzles for conveying oil to the bottom of said tank, said baflles being rigidly secured within a supporting jacket which is fixed to the shell of said tank, the bafiies being alternately arranged in said jacket with the perforated portion of each adjacent the imperforate portion of the next occurring baflle.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

MILLARD F. WATERS. 

